Surprise Of The Masses
by B. Alex Burke
Summary: This is just a simple story that came to me Christmas Eve night while I cried over my late grandfather and the frist Christmas I've had to spend without him. Rated M for later chapters. The first few are realitively T. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

1**Author's Note: This came to me last night while crying over my late grandfather and having Christmas without him. It's a bit angsty, but hey, give me a break.**

**Dedication: This is dedicated to two people. Kaitlyn, for one, because she's helped me through so much so far and I'm so blessed to have her as a friend.**

**And Shannon, because today is her birthday.**

_Dusty picture frames_

_And yellowed books_

_It all reminds her_

_Of what death took_

_She'd been in his study since the wake ended. It was her place of solitude and some what of a sanctuary now. Her mascara had run down her cheeks along with her previous tears, and the large lump in her throat had yet to leave her._

_Her eyes are empty_

_Her heart is torn_

_He shoudln't have left_

_It's not how it should be_

_Her mind strayed to their last conversation in the sterile, unnaturally cold hospital room that mocked every patient that entered it._

_"Richard..." she had begun, but he quickly cut her off._

"_No. I don't want to hear it." he snapped venomously, his voice hoarse. "My insurance papers are in my desk. Lynnie can help you go through them." The pale man she so lovingly claimed as her own began coughing violently, and she instantly rushed to his aid._

_He managed to get his breathing back under control and pushed her away with what little strength he could mustier in his quickly fading form. "No." he spat._

"_Pennilyn?" she questioned, his previous words beginning to penitrate her mind. No, certainly she had heard him incorrectly..._

"_Yes. She's been my lover for majority of the separation." he whispered in reply, his life quickly slipping from his grasp. "She'll help." was his final words to her before the heart moniter crashed and signaled his passing._

_He broke his promise_

_He broke her heart_

_She was to go first_

_That's how it was from the start_

_He had abandon her after she had left him. She'd only meant it to last a week and instead, it lasted the rest of his life. He'd found a lover and rubbed it in her face, even after his passing. The woman had planned his funeral and spoke his eulogy per his request, for Christ's sake!_

_A gleam catches her eye_

_It was only her wedding ring_

_Memories flood her mind and her eyes begin to sting_

_And the proud form of Emily begins to cry..._

"_I love you, Richard!" she sobbed suddenly. "Dammit, I love you!" She screamed as loud as her vocal cords could strain, the heartbreak finally setting in and taking over._

"_You promised!" The red-haired woman collapsed in the chair she was seated in, lamenting her lost husband._

_OoOoOoOoO_

Emily Gilmore sat up with a start, her hand clutched to her chest as a scream left her lips. That dream ... That nightmare had scared her something terrible. She looked over at the empty side of the bed.

His side of the bed...

She couldn't take it anymore. The pain was too intense. Grabbing her bathrobe and wrapping it tightly around her form, the woman practically ran down her hall way and staircase. She made her way through her home and toward the pool house residing in the back yard.

OoOoOoOoO

Emily openeed the door to her husband's bedroom and almost gasped at the sight that greeted her.

There he lay, on the left side of the bed, with one of her night gowns wrapped tightly around a pillow and said pillow clutched tightly to his chest.

Silently, she moved across the room and pried the pillow from his grasp, replacing the void with her body.

Richard hugged the warm form to him tightly and snuggled against it in his sleep, quite unaware of what he was truly holding.

OoOoOoOoO

The nexxt morning, Richard Gilmore awoke with a leg draped over his wife's sleeping form and his arms wrapped tightly around her slender waist.

"Oh...My..." he gasped, his eyes widening when her knee rubbed against his groin as she shifted in his sleep. He almost groaned aloud, biting down on his lip to keep quiet, and rested his head back on his pillow.

Deciding his wife should make the final decision when she gained consciousness, the man let his body drift back into a deep, peaceful slumber.

**Author's Note: So... How was that for the first story in about a month? Leave a review! They make me smile a lot and make me more willing to update. :P**


	2. Chapter 2

1**Author's Note: I thank you all for your reviews. They made me smile. :D Anyhoo, this chapter's poem is much more positive than the last. Without further beating around the bush, I give you chapter 2!**

_The sun shined brightly_

_And the birds were singing_

_Her hair shone lightly_

_And she was smiling_

Emily awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside her window. She rolled over and smiled at the warm figure she came in contact with. Her eyes snapped open as the night before's events flooded her memory. Trying to be as discrete as possible, the red haired woman eased from the bed, swearing loudly when she knocked over the clock.

The main she had shared the night, and the bed, with groaned and rolled over, his hand catching her wrist firmly. "Were are you going?" he asked hoarsely. "I hope you aren't leaving me to wake up in an empty bed, because that isn't polite."

Emily bit her lip and slowly turned around, her cheeks flushing deeply and her gaze fixated on the floor. "I was..." she whispered. "I was going back to the house." She felt tears welling in her eyes as she glanced up to see his saddened expression. Oh, how could she have done this to her heart's capture?

Richard sighed and sat up in his bed, tugging at her arm lightly, with just enough force to make her sit on the edge of the bed. "Emily, what happened?" he asked in a whisper. "What made you come back?" Normally, the husband would be thrilled to have his wife back in bed with him, but ... Richard was more concerned than thrilled. His wife didn't apologize easily. She was much too proud; that was one of the reasons he loved her so much.

"I ... I ..." she stammered, rather embarrassed at the actual reason she had fled to his bed the night before. "I missed you." In all truth, she had missed him terribly. But that was not the entire reasoning behind her fleeing to him. "I just missed you." she repeated in a whisper.

The man smiled at his wife, but only for a moment, then his face became on of a serious nature. "Emily ... " he began. "Where do we go from here?" His voice was soft, almost cautious to prod for information, as if he would shove her away if he asked any differently.

The woman in question pondered his question before looking back up at him and biting down on her lip. "I ... I don't know." she whispered in response. "I suppose we should ..." She let her sentence hang, leaving the decision up to him, as she always had.

_She looked for his love_

_And in his ocean of eyes_

_She could see the Heavens Above_

_Had granted her, even with her lies_

_With a olive branch, a dove_

"We should ... " he continued, looking at her with a cocked eyebrow and a questioning gaze. "We should what, Emily? Finish your sentence? Yes, that sounds lovely to me." Richard had never been one to wait for a reply. He had always been so impatient, but when he was patient, which was rare, he was ever so glad he had waited.

His wife glared at him for making such a remark. "Don't talk to me that way." she snapped, a bit more harsh than she intended. "I was hoping you would be the one to say what we did, as you are normally the one that makes all of th-"

Richard cut her off with a retort of his own, returning her icy tone. "Well, I wasn't the one that crawled in your bed at some unknown time at night, now was I?" he snarled. "I wasn't the one that made you sleep in a lonely bed every night while you I slept in a hotel room. It most certainly wasn't me that wanted this damned separation." When he realized he had said too much, he stood and moved to the drink cart in the living room to fix himself a scotch and taking a large gulp.

Emily, on the other hand, was thinking rather deeply about his words. He hadn't wanted it? He certainly hadn't tried to stop it, that's for sure. She had left because ... she'd thought that's what he wanted. She thought he wanted her to leave him alone. She wanted a bit of peace as well, but it all boiled down to her husband's happiness. Yes, she was hurt by his impromptu cancellation of her party, (that had taken her days to put together!), but she let him because she wanted him happy above all else.

She stood after a few moments in her thoughts, slowly making her way to the living room of the pool house. "Richard?" she said softly, moving to her husband's side. "You...You didn't want me to leave you alone?" Her voice was thick with emotion as she spoke, her heart fluttering as the butterflies in her stomach did, her hope rising. Was this all just a stupid mistake on her part? Could she fix it?

The man in question turned to her and sighed, his heart cracking at the sight of tears in his lover's eyes. "No, I didn't" he replied just as softly, his hand gently wiping away a stray tear that fell from her glistening eyes. "I was upset with the way everything was working out with the business and just ... I didn't know how else to release my frustration than to ignore you so I wouldn't hurt you like I have in the past by taking it out on you and I only caused more trouble than I would have if I would have just done as normal." He chuckled and handed her his glass of scotch to take a sip, knowing full and well she needed something to calm her nerves.

_Lovers of Old_

_One could be told_

_There are so few_

_But of these lovers_

_There is a new_

_Spark of romance_

_Beneath their cover_

Emily gladly accepted his drink and took a decent sip before handing it back and gesturing they take a seat on his sofa. He sat first and she daintily sat next to him, her hands in her lap and her foot tucked behind her ankle. "I... I'm sorry I left." she whispered after what seemed like forever, barely audible to her husband. "I should have tried to talk to you about what was bothering you instead of ignoring it." She looked back up at him and smiled weakly, averting her gaze down to her bare feet.

"And I'm sorry I upset you so much." he replied just as softly, taking her hand in his. "I should have talked to your more than I did and should have listened when you tried to start a conversation." Richard brought her hand up to his lips and placed a gentle kiss to it before moving her into his arms and kissing her properly, his lips tentatively brushing against hers before engaging in a much more passionate kiss; their tongues battled a fight of passion they had long ago learned, his hands moving to cup her jaw and hers clutching his night shirt. He moved from her lips to her jaw, his hands moving to thread through her hair, hers fondling the back of his neck similarly.

"Richard..." she whispered, applying a slight amount of pressure to his chest to get him to raise up. "Not here. Our bed." Emily blushed slightly, hoping she hadn't assumed that's what he wanted. Her husband chuckled at her blush and kissed her lips lightly before moving to his bedroom and grabbing his house coat and a pair of shoes, noting that she was bare footed and most probably had run through the snow to get to him. He Gingerly picked her up in his arms and hurried them to the main house, occasionally pressing a kiss to her lips as he made his way through the living room and up the stairs to their bedroom.

Richard set her down on the first landing, wanting to walk up with her hand in his. She quickly caught his hand with her own and lead him up, a knot of nervousness forming in her stomach.

It had been over four months since they last made love, it having been after his mother had come over and he (finally) defended himself and Emily over several different matters. Oh she was so nervous. What if she could no longer please him? What if he expected more of her or thought her hideous? Hundreds of questions flew through the woman's mind as she lead him to their bedroom door, her hand landing on the door knob shakily.

Richard was just as nervous as his wife, scared he wouldn't be able to satisfy her of that he would simply wake up and it have been a dream. He almost shook with his nervousness as the bedroom door opened, a room he had not entered for 3 months, give or take a day.

**Author's Note: I decided to make that scene a chapter of it's own, so, should one want to skip the details, (nothing too graphic), one could do so. I should have the last two chapters up later this week, or the next. :D Reviews are _always_ welcome and appreciated. :-)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: As I promised, a nice, steamy scene between the these two. It's not terribly graphic; Much more poetic than graphic, actually. Without further adieu, I give you CHAPTER THREE:P**

The door stood open for what seemed like an eternity. He hadn't been so nervous since their wedding night. His hands were almost shaking with fear. What if he couldn't please her?

Emily, too, was nervous about entering their bedroom, nervous she would not be able to pleasure her husband as she had before. She looked over at him to study his form; Their eyes met and she blushed.

"Are you as nervous as I am?" Richard asked softly, turning so they wee facing each other, their sides toward the door. His fingers laced with her much more slender ones. He could feel her shaking, a soft smile gracing his lips. The tall man gingerly moved her hands to his lips and pressed a kiss to them. "I'll take that as a yes." he whispered.

The red haired woman laughed nervously and looked down at her feet, trying to think of something to say to her husband, nothing coming to mind

As if he had heard her mind clinking, Richard leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, his hands moving to cup her cheeks. His tongue daringly traced her bottom lip, begging for entrance to her silken lips. His wife moaned and looped her arms around his neck, her hands threading through his silky salt and pepper hair.

They slowly began making their way through the bedroom door, not wanting to was a second of their sweet paradise. Hands and fingers brushed against fabrics of clothes as the couple undressed each other. He slowly unbuttoned her silky pajama top, pressing tender kisses against her neck and whispering sweet nothings in her ear.

_Sweet nothings_

_Candy kisses_

_It means something_

_Endless bliss_

Emily's hands were still buried in his hair, her finger nails gently grating against his scalp. A moan slipped through her lips as his lips moved from her neck to her collar bone, his tongue licking a particularly sensitive spot. The woman gasped as her body began to ignite into a raging inferno, her skin tingling and her eyes fluttering closed.

Richard groaned as his erect member pressed against her thigh, his pajama bottoms and hers the only thing keeping his flesh from contacting hers. He kept his lips on her collar bone as his hands slowly moved down her arms and sides to the waist of her pajamas. He nervously lowered them down her body, then tossed them aside. His hands moved back to her opened top and helped her slide her arms from it. He began placing tender kisses along her stomach and up to her breasts where his lips ventured along the mounds like he had several times in the past.

The red haired woman was panting now, her heart pounding against her chest so loudly, she was sure he was able to hear and feel it. Her hands gripped at the sheets ans she drew her legs up slightly. Her right hand moved to his back, gently scraping up his back and against his neck before threading through his hair once again. A gasp escaped her as he pressed delicate kisses in the valley between her breasts and worked his way back up her chest and to her neck. His lips eventually met hers again and passionately kissed her, his tongue tracing her bottom lip, begging for entrance in the petal-soft lips he got so much pleasure in knowing would forever be his to kiss.

He taller, stronger man continued his ministrations, a gasp escaping him when his lover hooked her thumbs in his pajama bottoms and quickly dropped them to his knees. He broke their kiss and looked into her eyes as she helped him rid himself of the bothersome trousers. "Make love to me." she whispered softly, her words barely audible to either of them. He simple nodded and bit his lip as he moved to enter, so nervous about not being able to please her.

The couple became one with loud moans of pleasure leaving both of their throats, her higher, more airy one clashing passionately with his deep velvety baritone one. They moved cautiously at first, as if they were in need of a map; They soon found their rhythm and moved together as one, soft gasps escaping her lips accompanied by his deep growls and groans.

Richard bent down and kissed her deeply as he quickened their pace, his grip on her hips tightening ever so slightly. His wife tilted her body, her hips more than anything else, to help bring them both the fullest amount of pleasure they could receive from one another. He moaned into her mouth as her muscles clenched slightly around him.

Emily looped her arms around his neck again as their broke their kiss for a gasp of air. She brought his lips back to hers and kissed him with a fiery passion that filled her heart and was for him and him only. She felt herself teetering near the edge of her climax, her muscles tightening and readying themself for the explosion that was sure to come.

Her husband felt the same building sensation in his body and continued to kiss her as deeply and passionately as he could, only breaking away slightly to breathe before plunging back in to the passionate battle of their tongues.

He broke his hold of her lips and cried out her name as he came, his name falling from her lips as well, her orgasm rocking her as his shook his core. He collapsed beside her, not registering the fact that she rolled with him to keep him inside of her as the remnants of their climaxes dissolved into their forms.

Her eyes met his as they opened their eyes looked at each other, a blissfully content smile gracing their features. "That was ... amazing." she whispered, still gasping for breath as her heart continued to pound against her chest. "Absolutely amazing."

He could do nothing but grin broader as she complimented him after all the months they were apart. "Yes, you were." he replied, chuckling softly at the blush that filled her cheeks. His hand cupped said cheeks and brought her slightly swollen lips to his for a tender, gentle kiss, not of the fiery passion as the ones before, but of the gentle flow of love that they shared.

Emily broke the kiss and settled into his embrace as a yawn left her body. "Tired, Mrs. Gilmore?" her husband asked, the grin on his face evident in his voice. She could only grin in return and look up at him with tired, but elated, eyes.

"Yes, I am." she replied softly. "Mr. Gilmore seems to know how to tucker his wife out quickly. Not that I didn't enjoy it, I mind you. He's quite pleasurable. Utterly wonderfully exhausting." She smiled as his body shook softly with his laughter and relished in the feeling of his arms wrapping around her and holding her naked from to his equally nude one.

Richard gently let his hand stroke her back, coaxing her to sleep after uttering a soft. "I love you, Emily." He felt tears well in his eyes as the words he had longer to hear left her lips.

"I love you, too, Richard."

_Moans in the night_

_The morn will follow_

_With birds taking flight_

_And no longer will hearts be hollow_

**Author's Note: Well ... I know it isn't terribly long, but I love this chapter most. No, not because of their interactions. Because of the love that's shown in it. I think I'll end it here as well. Unless you all want more. :P :) Leave a review and I'll see what I can do. Thanks!  
**


End file.
